What You Can Do with JavaFX Sequencesand Can't with Arrays in Java

JavaFX sequences are arrays with some clever extra functionality. They differ widely from Java primitive arrays, and actually have more in common with Java's collection classes. Learn how to define, extend, retract, slice, and filter JavaFX sequences.

by Simon Morris

Nov 4, 2008

avaFX is a set of Java-based, rich user interface technologies that sits atop the existing Java Standard and Micro Editions, making current Java packages readily accessible from the JavaFX environment. At its heart is JavaFX Script, an innovative, compiled, domain-specific language.

Chapter 2 of JavaFX in Action, a hands-on tutorial that introduces and explores JavaFX through numerous bite-sized projects, focuses on JavaFX Script data and variables. In this chapter, author Simon Morris introduces JavaFX Script sequences. Sequences are arrays with some clever extra functionality, making them more useful to the type of work JavaFX is designed to do. They differ widely from Java primitive arrays; indeed, they have more in common with Java's collection classes.

Download an early access edition of "Sequences: JavaFX Arrays" (PDF), an article based on Chapter 2 from JavaFX in Action. JavaFX Script boasts a declarative syntax where the code structure mirrors the structure of the interface. Related UI pieces are kept in one efficient bundle, not strewn across multiple locations. A simple coding model reduces code complexity while increasing productivity. The JavaFX-specific libraries for presentation and animation take advantage of JavaFX Script's unique language features.

Simon Morris has been programming Java since 1996. His experience encompasses web and desktop projects for commercial, academic, and government clients. He blogs on Java and rich UI topics at Java.net. Simon lives and works in the UK.